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Vim Comedy Company motion picture photographs, 1915-1917.
Amount:
44 photographs
Medium Included:
photographs
Organization/Arrangement:
Unarranged.
Restrictions:
Terms Governing Use:
Biographical/Historical:
William "Billy" Bletcher (1894-1979), an early film star known for his baritone voice, appeared in over 251 films between 1915 and 1966. He married fellow silent film star Arlyn Roberts (1893-1992), who continued to appear in films until 1951. The two met while working for the Vim Comedy Company located at 750 Riverside Avenue in Jacksonville, Florida, between 1915 and 1917. They also worked with silent movie film actress, Ethel Marie Burton (Palmer), who stared in 32 motion picture films between 1915 and 1917.
Florida's sunny climate, political support, and cheap real estate and labor made Jacksonville a major center for motion picture film production during the early years of silent films. From 1915 to 1917, Jacksonville Mayor J.E.T. Bowden set out to restore business confidence in Jacksonville after a recessionary slump and encouraged movie investment in the city. He extended an open invitation "to the moving picture fraternity of this country" to inspect North Florida.
Studios like the Vim Comedy Company typified the short-lived expansionist studios of the mid-teens movie boom. Founded in late 1915 by Louis Curstein and Mark Dintenfass, Vim employed many intriguing personalities and made 156 one-reelers in 1916. It produced the comedy series "Pokes and Jabbs" starring Bob Burns and Walter Stull, with Ethel Burton often appearing in various roles, as well as a series of comedies starring Oliver "Babe" Hardy with Billy Ruge titled "Pump and Runt," in which Burton also occasionally starred. Other regulars with Vim included Harry Myers and Rosemary Theby, who specialized in domestic comedies, plus talented performers such as Kate Price, Billy Bletcher, and his wife Arlyn. Including casts, directors, camera crew, and administrative personnel, Vim employed nearly 50 people plus extras in 1916, with a regular weekly payroll of approximately $3,800.
Vim ceased production in 1917 after its founders Burstein and Dintenfass were caught stealing money from the payroll. The two were involved in legal battles for several years, after which Burstein remained in Jacksonville to produce Billy West comedies (like Charlie Chaplin's films) under his new King Bee brand.
Summary:
This collection contains photographs collected by William "Billy" Bletcher of movies in production in Jacksonville, Orlando, and New York City by the Vim Comedy Company. Most of the photographs feature Ethel Burton in the comedy series "Pokes and Jabbs." The collection also contains group photographs of various early movie stars including Oliver Hardy, Pearl Shepherd, Walter Stull, Bobby Burns, Kate Price, Edna Reynolds, Pearl Bailey, Budd Ross, Harry Myers, Rosemary Theby, Arvid E. Gillstrom, Halle Cohen, and Harry Naughton. The majority are promotional scene photographs. In addition, this collection contains two reviews of movies starring Ethel Burton.
Finding Aids:
Folder listing available. 0
Additional Physical Form:
Select images from this collection have been digitized and are available on the Florida memory web site: https://www.floridamemory.com/discover/photographs/
for detailed listing.